College Football Recruiting: Cal Bears All-In on Joe Mixon

By Tyler Brett

Joe Nicholson – USA TODAY Sports

Sonny Dykes has not had a great start to his tenure as head coach of the Cal Bears. Fielding one of the youngest teams in the country that has been picked over by injuries, the Bears are just 1-7 on the season and have not been all that competitive as of late. That’s put a bit of a dent in the recruiting momentum that Dykes brought with him after his hire this summer as the losses make the road a bit rockier when convincing top prospects to come to Berkeley. That can all change, however, if the Bears can secure the commitment of running back Joe Mixon.

Mixon is a four-star recruit out of Oakley, California, and is one of the elite running backs in the 2014 recruiting class. He’s shown excellent top-end speed and the ability to catch passes out the backfield, which makes him a dynamic offensive threat and a perfect fit for Dykes’ style of offense. At 6-foot-1, 209 pounds, Mixon is also a big back with good strength who can plant his foot and get upfield for some tough yards, making him a nice boost to what has been a completely stagnant running game for Cal this season.

More importantly, Mixon is a local prospect with some star power to his name. He’s the type of commitment that would help attract more commitments to Berkeley and get the ball rolling on a very important first class for Dykes with the Bears. There is a lot to like on the Cal roster right now with some young players with high ceilings, but the Bears need a lot more help to get to where they want to be and building up a strong recruiting class is the only way they’re going to get there.

While there are undoubtedly more holes that need to get plugged in Berkeley right now, grabbing a star recruit like Mixon is just what Sonny Dykes needs to get things jumpstarted on the recruiting trail. The competition is fierce for the talented back, but Cal needs to be all-in on Mixon to start their rebuilding effort off right.